Dave Portnoy's Surprise Take Adds Another Twist to Dianna Russini's NFL Media Controversy
While the former NFL insider Dianna Russini remains at the center of an ongoing controversy following her resignation from The Athletic, the Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy said he would have no hesitation bringing her onto his team.
Dave Portnoy has become the latest high-profile sports media figure to weigh in on Dianna Russini's future. While the former NFL insider remains at the center of an ongoing controversy following her resignation from The Athletic, the Barstool Sports founder said he would have no hesitation bringing her onto his team if the opportunity came. His comments arrived just as newly released bodycam footage put Russini back in the spotlight.
The latest video has renewed discussion around another incident involving Russini, adding to the public attention surrounding her departure. Together, Portnoy's support and the resurfaced traffic stop footage have once again placed the longtime NFL reporter at the center of headlines.
Dave Portnoy says Dianna Russini deserves another opportunity despite recent controversy
Speaking exclusively to Us Weekly while promoting his new memoir Cancel Me If You Can, Portnoy made it clear that he would consider hiring Russini if she wanted to join Barstool Sports.
"No-brainer, if she wanted to work here, we'd do it."
Portnoy acknowledged that the controversy surrounding Russini and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel had created negative attention. At the same time, he argued that personal issues should not automatically end someone's professional career.
"She'll land somewhere, and you know, if people who have affairs are never allowed to work again in this country, you're gonna lose a significant amount of the workforce."
He continued by saying, "It is obviously really sad, but at the same time, that's not like a capital offense that should end somebody's professional career."
This is crazy. Dianna Russini name dropped like crazy. Said JJ McCarthy sucked, showed texts from Kevin O'Connell said McDermott was fired and Brian Daboll wanted the #Bills job. All in like 6 minutes pic.twitter.com/OoMkr2pAVD
— Draft Diamonds ™️ (@DraftDiamonds) June 30, 2026
Russini resigned from The Athletic in April after photos and videos linked her to Vrabel, who is married. Russini has never publicly admitted to having anything beyond a professional relationship with the Patriots coach, and Vrabel has also never confirmed an affair. Meanwhile, The Athletic's review of Russini's reporting remains ongoing.
New bodycam footage brings renewed attention to Russini's earlier traffic stop story
As Portnoy's comments made headlines, another development pushed Russini back into the news cycle. Newly released bodycam footage from a January traffic stop in New Jersey showed her speaking with a police officer after being pulled over for allegedly using her phone while driving.
In the video, Russini identified herself as an NFL reporter and explained that she had been sending a tweet after breaking news involving then Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott. She also mentioned that Brian Daboll wanted the Bills job and later showed the officer text messages with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell.
The officer eventually let her off with a warning, saying he understood that her work required frequent phone use.
The footage drew attention because it differed from a story Russini shared during a February appearance on the Stugotz and Company podcast. At the time, she claimed she FaceTimed an NFL head coach during the stop, who convinced the officer to let her go.
The newly released recording does not show that interaction taking place, leading to fresh discussion online. Coming amid the ongoing scrutiny surrounding her departure from The Athletic, the footage has added another chapter to an already eventful period in Russini's career.